Aviation: Global Positioning System

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many United Kingdom airfields have applied for global positioning system instrument approaches.

Lord Davies of Oldham: One aerodrome has applied for global positioning system (GPS) instrument approach procedures—Gloucestershire (Staverton).

Bangladesh: Chittagong Hill Tracts

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What information the members of the European Union diplomatic missions in Dhaka who visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts in December 2005 obtained about the staffing and operations of the Land Commission said to have been constituted in 1999 following the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord of 1997.

Lord Triesman: A team of EU diplomats visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts in November 2005. The British High Commission led the visit as EU presidency. The team's broad conclusion on this specific subject was that the Land Disputes Resolution Commission was not operating at a level necessary to facilitate effective implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord. Problems included the complex procedures for lodging claims. The team found that the commission was not receiving many cases for adjudication and of these few were being concluded. Local confidence in the commission was low.
	Following the team's visit, the British High Commissioner in Dhaka, as EU presidency, wrote to the Government of Bangladesh citing the urgent need to improve implementation of the peace accord, including the operation of the Land Disputes Resolution Commission.

Disability: Personal Care Assistants

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions the Department of Health has had with the Department for Work and Pensions regarding the immigration rules which affect disabled people seeking to recruit directly personal care assistants from abroad.

Lord Warner: There are currently no discussions between the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions regarding immigration rules which affect disabled people seeking to recruit care assistants from abroad. Immigration regulations are the responsibility of the Home Office.

Electoral Registration

Lord Norton of Louth: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which countries, other than the United Kingdom, employ household registration for the purposes of compiling electoral registers.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: A system of household registration similar to that in place in Great Britain also operates in the Republic of Ireland.

Licensing Act 2003

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether an applicant for a licence under the Licensing Act 2003 is legally required to place an advertisement in local newspapers; and whether the relevant local authorities have discretion to relax this requirement.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Under Paragraph 25 of the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005, the person making an application for a new premises licence, or an application to vary an existing premises licence, shall publish a notice in a local newspaper or, if there is none, in a local newsletter, circular or other similar document circulating in the vicinity of the premises. Licensing authorities have no discretion to relax this requirement.

London Underground: Fares

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What analysis they have made of the impact on London's tourist trade of the 50 per cent increase in the cash price of the basic London Underground single journey fare to £3.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Responsibility for tourism and transport in London is devolved to the Mayor and the Greater London Authority.
	There are of course a number of methods by which visitors can save money on the price of Tube journeys, such as the travelcard and oystercard. These schemes are extensively publicised, both here and abroad, including via travel agents, tourist attractions, points of entry into London and at airports outside the city such as Stansted, Luton and Gatwick. The London visitor survey (conducted three times a year) measures levels of visitor satisfaction—should Tube fare prices become an issue the survey will highlight this.

Palestine: Elections

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the implications of the Palestine parliamentary elections for a lasting peace settlement with Israel; and what steps the British and European Union components of the quartet will take to facilitate this outcome.

Lord Triesman: Both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Government remain committed towards making progress against the road map.
	The quartet (UN, EU, US and Russia) reiterated its position on 30 January with regards to the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, stating its view that all members of a future Palestinian Government must be committed to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the road map. We support this approach. We urge both the Israelis and Palestinians to respect their existing agreements. We, along with our EU partners, will continue to work with the Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn and his team to ensure that both the Palestinians and the Israelis make progress against their road map commitments.
	Hamas now has a choice to make between the path of democracy and the path of violence. The onus is on Hamas to change its approach to Israel, renounce violence and disarm.

Squirrels

Earl Peel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Annex IV of the Habitats Directive is to include the red squirrel; and, if not, for what reasons.

Lord Bach: Currently there are no proposals within Europe for adding the red squirrel to Annex IV of the Habitats Directive, as the rest of Europe has stable populations that are not yet threatened by the spread of grey squirrels.
	However, the red squirrel is listed on Appendix III of the Bern convention and is protected within the UK by virtue of being listed on Schedules 5 and 6 to the WCA and Schedules 5 and 6 to the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.
	A species action plan for the red squirrel was one of the first to be published as part of the UK biodiversity action plan (UKBAP) in 1995. The plan recognised the spread of the grey squirrel, habitat fragmentation and disease (squirrel pox virus) as factors causing loss or decline of the red squirrel. The plan sets objectives and targets to maintain and enhance the existing populations and to re-establish populations where appropriate.
	Defra also launched on 22 January an action plan to control grey squirrels. The action plan, which has been developed by Defra and the Forestry Commission, focuses on areas where they are damaging woodland and preventing red squirrels becoming established.
	The Government have been instrumental, along with Ireland and Italy, in raising the profile of red and grey squirrel issues across Europe. This includes the tabling of a recommendation, agreed by the standing committee of the Bern convention in December 2005. This encourages signatories to undertake studies into the impact of greys on red squirrel populations, forestry and other biodiversity, and ensure that governments are attentive to and actively seek to prevent further introductions of non-native squirrel species.

Stansted Airport

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What (a) documentation the Department for Transport has received regarding the possible expansion of Stansted airport from any other government department or agency; and (b) whether officials from the department have met counterparts in any other department or agency to discuss this issue.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Transport regularly engages and shares information with other central departments, government offices and delivery agencies regarding the possible expansion of Stansted airport. This engagement centres on the formulation and development of government policy in relation to these matters.

Transport Policy: Sir Rod Eddington

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much Sir Rod Eddington has claimed in expenses since his appointment as the Government's transport adviser.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The costs of Rod Eddington's travel and accommodation during stakeholder engagement visits across the UK have been shared between the Department for Transport and HM Treasury. Travel and accommodation costs incurred up to the end of December 2005 total approximately £3,200.

Vehicles: Insurance Certificates

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a certificate of motor insurance which is printed out by the policy holder after downloading from an Internet supplier who is operating legally complies with the requirements of United Kingdom legislation.

Lord Davies of Oldham: No. Our view is that Section 147 of the Road Traffic Act precludes electronic delivery to policy holders of certificates of motor insurance, for the purposes of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Vehicles: Tachographs

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there is any legal requirement to fit a digital tachograph to a goods vehicle; and
	Whether there is any legal requirement to use digital tachographs in a goods vehicle.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The operators and drivers of certain heavy goods and public service vehicles are required to use tachographs to record drivers' compliance with the EU drivers hours rules. Under Council Regulation (EC) No. 2135/98, such in-scope vehicles put into service for the first time after 5 August 2004 were required to be fitted with a digital tachograph. However, digital tachographs were not available by that date and the requirement could not be enforced.
	The Council and European Parliament agreed last December to change the August 2004 date to ensure legal clarity. This will be achieved through a clause in a new EU regulation on drivers hours which will amend Regulation (EC) No. 2135/98. The effect of this amendment will be to require the use of a digital tachograph in vehicles put into service for the first time from a date 20 days after formal publication of the new EU regulation on drivers hours. Publication is expected in early April and digital tachographs should become mandatory for new vehicles from early May 2006.